Cracking success for Tyrone egg leader in Britain

The company, now part of the Ready Egg Group of Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh, has been named Egg Packer of the Year 2024 at the highly influential National Egg and Poultry Awards in Britain, a substantial boost to the company’s drive to grow sales in this most important market for local produce.

There was also a ‘Highly Commended’ award for Armagh’s Farmlay Eggs and a Poultry Processor of the Year title for Moy Park in Craigavon, the second major award in Britain won by the top local poultry business in recent months. It has already been named UK Food Manufacturer of the Year 2024.

The awards, which reinforce the reputation, especially in Britain, of local companies for quality foods, were announced at a prestigious awards ceremony backed by the British Poultry Council (BPC), the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) and the National Farmers Union (NFU). It was sponsored by the Co-op and Noble Foods

The awards are designed “to honour and reflect achievement, excellence and best practice in the British egg and poultry sector, while promoting the industry and providing networking opportunities for sector members”.

Skea Egg Farms is a family-owned company supplying a range of quality eggs to major supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco across Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Matthew Hayes founded the business in the early 1970s. What started as a small family-run business has grown to become a leading supplier of eggs in the UK and Ireland with more than 130 employees.

In April 2022, the Ready Egg Group acquired Skea Eggs, which allowed for further diversification of the group and reinforced its position as a leading player in the highly competitive markets in the UK and Ireland.

The progressive business is now the biggest local producer of an extensive range of products, including free range eggs.